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Chris Inglis Backs Creation of Cyber Statistics Bureau Within DHS
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Chris Inglis Backs Creation of Cyber Statistics Bureau Within DHS

National Cyber Director Chris Inglis has expressed support for a plan to establish a bureau of cyber statistics that would collect and analyze data related to cyberthreats and cyber incidents, CyberScoop reported Monday.

Inglis said the White House is considering the idea of creating the bureau. He also cited how threat data could help the government understand how to better respond to threat actors. 

“I would observe that to properly address risk we have to first understand it. We have to understand where it’s concentrated, where it cascades, what causes it, and more importantly to then discover how to address it,” Inglis said at an event Monday.

“I think all would agree that in the absence of this information, we are going to be episodic, we’re going to be uneven, and perhaps less than optimal in our response to any of these threats which affect all of us in common,” he added.

The Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC) initially proposed the idea of establishing the bureau. Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Ben Sasse, R-Neb., proposed a bill in late July that would create the new office within the Department of Homeland Security.

King is co-chair of the CSC and Sasse serves as a commissioner.

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Rear Adm. Carl Chebi Nominated as NAVAIR Commander
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Rear Adm. Carl Chebi Nominated as NAVAIR Commander

Navy Rear Adm. Carl Chebi, deputy program executive officer for the Joint Strike Fighter, has been nominated by President Biden to serve as the next commander of Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).

In line with his nomination, Chebi will also be promoted to the rank of vice admiral, the Department of Defense said Monday.

Chebi served as the Navy PEO for command, control, communications, computers and intelligence and space systems from February 2017 to September 2019 and held a short stint as vice commander of NAVAIR.

From 2014 to 2016, he was program manager of the Naval Integrated Fire Control/Counter Air system and led engineering, integration, test, fielding and training efforts for the branch’s air warfare systems.

He also worked as deputy program manager in the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office and program manager in the Precision Strike Weapons Program Office.

Chebi has logged more than 3,700 flight hours and 700 carrier arrested landings with various military aircraft platforms. His awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit and the Meritorious Service Medal.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer systems engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an executive MBA from the Naval Postgraduate School.

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White House Appoints Chirag Parikh as National Space Council Executive Secretary
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White House Appoints Chirag Parikh as National Space Council Executive Secretary

Chirag Parikh, former director of space policy at the National Security Council, has been named executive secretary of the White House National Space Council chaired by Vice President Kamala Harris, SpaceNews reported Monday.

Parikh will join the council from Microsoft, where he has served as senior director of Azure Space since January 2020.

He previously worked at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, where he served as deputy director for counterproliferation.

He also served as deputy national intelligence officer for science and technology within the National Intelligence Council and spent a decade as an aerospace engineer within the U.S. Air Force’s national air and space intelligence center.

Parikh’s appointment came three months after Harris was named head of the National Space Council.

The White House said the council is expected to have its first meeting in the fall of 2021.

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USAF Provides 2 Boeing-Built Chinook Helicopters to Australia as Part of Foreign Military Sales Program
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USAF Provides 2 Boeing-Built Chinook Helicopters to Australia as Part of Foreign Military Sales Program

The U.S. Air Force completed the delivery of two CH-47F Chinook helicopters, manufactured by Boeing, from Dover AF Base in Delaware to a military airbase in Townsville, Australia, under a foreign military sales deal.

USAF said Monday its 9th Airlift Squadron used a C-5M Super Galaxy to transport the Chinooks that the Australian government procured for use by the Asia-Pacific country's army.

Boeing, a program office within the 436th Aerial Port Squadron and Australia's defense capability acquisition and sustainment agency took part in the process of fulfilling the FMS requirement.

The two countries are scheduled to conduct joint missions with the Chinook platform in the spring of 2022.

The State Department approved a $259 million sale of four CH-47F aircraft with customer-unique modifications and related equipment to Australia in April.

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Navy Flight Tests MQ-4C With New Multi-Mission Sensor for First Time; Capt. Dan Mackin Comments
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Navy Flight Tests MQ-4C With New Multi-Mission Sensor for First Time; Capt. Dan Mackin Comments

The U.S. Navy has conducted its first test flight of the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system in the new Integrated Functional Capability-4 configuration at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. The surveillance aircraft demonstrated its stability and control following a 30-month multi-mission sensor upgrade process, NAVAIR Thursday.

Present at the functional check flight and initial aeromechanical test points at Maryland was the Triton Integrated Test Team, which consists of representatives from the Navy, the U.S. government and industry sectors, and Australian partner organizations.

The Navy plans to reach the initial operational capability milestone for the upgraded aircraft in 2023 as part of its Maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) and Targeting transition plan.

Capt. Dan Mackin, the naval program manager for persistent maritime UAS, noted that Tritons would "continue to provide unprecedented maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities which are especially critical to national interests with the increased focus in the Pacific."

The Navy plans to deploy the Northrop Grumman-developed long-endurance ISR drones to five orbits around the world.

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US Navy Holds Christening for Virginia-Class USS Hyman G. Rickover; James Geurts Quoted
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US Navy Holds Christening for Virginia-Class USS Hyman G. Rickover; James Geurts Quoted

The U.S. Navy has christened the second submarine named after Hyman G. Rickover, the former four-star Navy admiral who initiated the adoption of nuclear propulsion with technological and cultural advances in the service. 

James Geurts, currently performing the duties of the undersecretary of the Navy and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, likened the sailors and shipbuilders' commitment of excellence in constructing the boat to Rickover's culture of excellence, the U.S. Navy said Saturday. 

US Navy Holds Christening for Virginia-Class USS Hyman G. Rickover; James Geurts Quoted

The Virginia-class attack submarine USS Hyman G. Rickover, also known as SNN 709, is slated to join the fleet with 132 crews, 12 vertical launch systems payload, 7,835 tons of displacement and four torpedo tubes. 

The multimission platform is designed to allow five Navy maritime strategy core capabilities that include sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security and deterrence. 

The previous Hyman G. Rickover ship was commissioned on July 21, 1984, at the Submarine Base, New London, in Groton. 

Submarine sponsor Darlene Greenert, a navy veteran and wife of former Chief of Naval Jonathan Greenert, was also present Friday during the christening ceremony held at General Dynamics’ Electric Boat shipyard facility in Groton, Connecticut.

She underscored the sacrifices of militaries and commemorated Eleonore Rickover, the admiral’s late wife. 

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President Biden Eyeing to Nominate Alex Wagner as US Air Force Assistant Secretary For Manpower, Reserve Affairs
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President Biden Eyeing to Nominate Alex Wagner as US Air Force Assistant Secretary For Manpower, Reserve Affairs

President Biden is eyeing to select Alex Wagner, Aerospace Industries Association vice president for strategic initiatives, as the U.S. Air Force assistant secretary for manpower and reserve affairs nominee, Air Force Times reported Friday. 

If confirmed, he will be in charge of handling military and civilian personnel concerns, Reserve components affairs and ensure the readiness of an estimated 700,000 workforce members in the Department of the Air Force. 

Prior to his role as AIA executive, Wagner served the Department of Defense for seven years and most recently assumed the chief of staff to the 22nd Secretary of the Army post. He led the direction of policies, communications and legislations while ushering the civilian and military leadership as the principal strategic adviser. 

He was an adjunct professor of law from 2011 to 2018 at Georgetown University Law Center, where he contributed to the drafting of the U.S. Supreme Court’s amici briefs on behalf of the previous Secretaries of the U.S. Navy, Army and Air Force. 

At the Office of the Secretary of Defense, he worked as the senior adviser on rule of law and detainee policy, where he crafted policy initiatives on weapons systems autonomy, leading to the pioneer international discussions at the United Nations in 2014. 

Once he receives Senate confirmation, Wagner will replace John Fedrigo, who assumed the acting assistant secretary position in January. 

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CISA Launches New Online Vulnerability Disclosure Platform; Cybersecurity Official Eric Goldstein Quoted
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CISA Launches New Online Vulnerability Disclosure Platform; Cybersecurity Official Eric Goldstein Quoted

The Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA) has launched a new centrally managed website where security researchers and the public can report vulnerabilities on federal civilian systems.

The Vulnerability Disclosure Program Platform will enable agencies to work with the research community on identifying system weaknesses and improve their cybersecurity posture, Eric Goldstein, CISA's executive assistant director for cybersecurity, said Friday.

The sharing process works by researchers checking the integrity of systems listed by the participating agencies and submitting their findings on the platform. Service providers BugCrowd and EnDynma will then assess the reports initially before passing them to the government organizations.

According to CISA estimates, using the VDP Platform will save the government over $10 million. The departments of Homeland Security, Labor and the Interior already pledged to use the website once it becomes available.

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DHS S&T Unveils Research Strategy for Artificial Intelligence; Kathryn Coulter Mitchell Quoted
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DHS S&T Unveils Research Strategy for Artificial Intelligence; Kathryn Coulter Mitchell Quoted

The Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology (DHS S&T) Directorate has unveiled a strategy that would guide S&T's research pursuits in the areas of artificial intelligence and machine learning. 

DHS said Friday that its new AI/ML strategic plan defines research efforts that aim to increase S&T's understanding of opportunities and risks across the dynamic AI landscape.

The directorate wants to drive next-generation AI/ML technologies, apply these technologies to homeland security missions and develop a workforce of interdisciplinary professionals skilled in AI.

“This actionable plan lays out how S&T will build and apply cutting-edge expertise to help the department harness the opportunities of AI/ML technologies while mitigating the associated risks," said Kathryn Coulter Mitchell, who serves as DHS's undersecretary for S&T on an acting basis.

The plan supports the DHS-wide Artificial Intelligence Strategy released in December 2020.

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Senate Passes Bill to Support Small Business Federal Contracting; Sen. Gary Peters Quoted
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Senate Passes Bill to Support Small Business Federal Contracting; Sen. Gary Peters Quoted

The Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) has passed a bill that aims to help U.S. small businesses pursue contracting opportunities with the federal government. 

The Promoting Rigorous and Innovative Cost Efficiencies for Federal Procurement and Acquisitions (PRICE) Act would task the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to help federal procurement leaders make government contracting suitable for small businesses, HSGAC said Friday.

OMB will share best practices to update contracting processes in a way that supports small businesses.

The PRICE Act — introduced by Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa — seeks to address the reluctance of some agencies towards the Small Business Administration’s programs.

“This commonsense legislation will give small business owners a fair shot to win federal contracts and grow their businesses," Peters said.

The legislation now awaits the House's approval.

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